There is a growing trend in the replacement of metal and wood components in vehicles and building structures with plastics. Exemplary of the inroads made by plastic components supplanting other materials are automotive trim, building window trim, and pick up truck bed liners. Unfortunately, functionality in such polymers are susceptible to ultraviolet light exposure damage through bond cleavage and dye oxidation. UV weathered plastics are characterized by color fading, cracking, or becoming tacky, instances where the molecule weight of plastic is reduced.
Historically, attempts to restore the appearance of plastics that have been weathered by UV light exposure have included the application of a plastic surface dressing that temporarily changes the plastic appearance with a dye composition tends to only last a few days before reapplication is required, to apply a dye that permanently affixes to the plastic, or to paint the plastic with a paint specifically designed for plastic surfaces. While dying or painting the UV light degraded plastic surface require considerable preparation, equipment and skill; surface dressing is easily performed with resort simply to a towel, foam pad, or other similar applicator. Unfortunately, surface dressing has a limited restorative effect as a result of water contact such as rain removing the surface dressing compositions, the formation of ring spots on the treated plastic, or a combination of these effects. Additionally, surface dressings tend to fade in appearance with each exposure to rain with little, if any surface dressings lasting more than a few weeks. The resulting plastic also tends to become sticky with repeated usage of conventional surface dressing compositions. Also, as surface dressings have no resistance to ultraviolet damage, even between periods of rainfall, the dressing compositions are themselves quickly degraded.
Thus, there exists a need for a protective composition and process for the use thereof to protect plastics that are exposed to UV light damage. There further exists a need for such a composition specifically for protection of plastic interior and exterior portions of a vehicle that is compatible with vehicle materials and operating conditions.